And Then There Were Bun

Title: And Then There Were Bun
Author: Vivien Chien
Published: August 25, 2026 by Minotaur Books
Format: Kindle, 320 Pages
Genre: Amateur Sleuth
Series: Noodle Shop Mystery #13

Blurb: With the help of Lana’s parents and close friends, Megan packs the family restaurant with a guest list that includes friends—both old and new—to help celebrate her best gal’s birthday. But when one of their guests brings an unsavory plus one that Lana just happened to date back in her college days, tensions build between her old beau and her current boyfriend, Detective Adam Trudeau.

After a heated exchange of words between the two men, the evening returns to the smooth and enjoyable party that Megan had originally hoped for. But relief is short lived when Lana’s ex is found in the dumpster outside of Asia Village.

As if the circumstances and tragedy taking place on Lana’s birthday aren’t enough, the gang gets an even bigger surprise when Adam is the main suspect under scrutiny. Not only are there several witnesses confirming the verbal confrontation between the two men earlier in the evening, but it’s also reported that Adam disappeared from the party for a considerable amount of time. And unfortunately for him, not even Lana can back up his whereabouts. With Adam in the hot seat, his own partner, Matthew Higgins, must investigate the crime alongside their boss—the Chief of Police, Tom Riceton, who wants speedy results to keep away the threat of Internal Affairs knocking on their door.

As Adam struggles with the dynamic shifts in his personal life, being on suspension and shut out from his resources at the police department, he must rely solely on his skills as a detective and the ingenuity of Lana’s amateur sleuthing capabilities to solve the case and clear his name definitively.

My Opinion: There’s just something about this series that keeps pulling me back in. At this point, I’ve been with Vivien Chien since book one, so yes, I fully admit I give her a little grace when a story wobbles. But this time? No wobble. This novel hit every single point I look for in a Noodle Shop mystery.

The characters felt like they were hitting their stride again. The snarky humor was back, a bit of history bubbled up, the agents of chaos, also known as the Mahjong Matrons, arrived right on cue, and all of Lana’s friends and family showed up for her, not just for her birthday, but before she had to send out a bat signal. That’s one of my favorite things about this series: Lana never really goes it alone; her circle is there for her no matter what.

From the start, it’s clear who will be set up for putting the body in the dumpster. But let’s be honest, Vivien Chien would never cancel a main character this way. So off we go, racing alongside Lana and her friends to figure out what really happened and how fast they can untangle the mess. And yes, there was a twist I absolutely didn’t see. I love when a cozy mystery manages to sneak one past me.

As for what’s next for Lana? Who knows. But if history is any indication, we can count on donuts, giggles, shenanigans, and at least one moment where Lana wonders how she got herself into this again.

The Whitechapel Full Moon Society

Title: The Whitechapel Full Moon Society
Author: Elizabeth DeLozier
Published: August 25, 2026 by Dutton
Format: Kindle, 368 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb: When Caroline Foster arrives at the Whitechapel Full Moon Society in search of her missing brother, she finds a dilapidated façade belying an interior as opulent as any exclusive gentlemen’s club. In exchange for room and board, Caroline is hired as the Full Moon’s maid, where she is given three orders: don’t ask personal questions, stay out of the iron-barred room on the second floor, and remain in her bedroom from sunup to sundown on the full moon.

But when it is revealed that the previous maid was murdered—an early victim of Jack the Ripper—and her brother has left behind no answers, only more questions, Caroline begins to suspect her hosts might be hiding something. As more bodies turn up with a connection to the Society, Caroline fears she may have unwittingly stumbled into a bedtime story, the kind with monsters and curses, family secrets and ancient lore.

Tantalizing and pulsing, Elizabeth DeLozier’s sophomore novel gives an exciting alternative look into the infamous Jack the Ripper story with a major, supernatural twist.

My Opinion: Is it possible to enjoy a book while still feeling like you’re wandering around in a fog, trying to grab hold of the threads the author keeps teasing you with? Absolutely, and this novel proves it. From the early chapters, Elizabeth DeLozier drops us straight into a world where Jack the Ripper is already lurking in the background, cemetery stones whisper their own stories, and a missing brother hovers like a shadow you can’t quite shake. And then there’s that boarding house, The Full Moon Society, where every room feels like it’s hiding a secret.

I kept thinking I was onto something. You know that feeling when you mentally congratulate yourself because you’re sure you’ve cracked the mystery? Yeah… that didn’t last. DeLozier has a talent for nudging you down one path, letting you feel confident for about five minutes, and then “poof,” she opens a new train of thought, and you’re somewhere else entirely. I made another assumption later on, and while it wasn’t completely wrong, it was only half right in that cat-and-mouse sort of way. While giving you clues, she’s generous with misdirection, and honestly, it was my favorite thing.

Halfway through, I found myself just as baffled as Caroline Foster, our main character, and I mean that in the best way. This is definitely a slow burn, but not the kind that drags. It’s the kind that builds curiosity until you’re leaning forward, with your mouth open without realizing it.

And then there’s the genre question. Is this historical fiction? Is it fantasy? Is it folklore? The answer seems to be: yes, all of the above. The folklore references were right there, and I still missed them. Good job, Elizabeth. Truly.

By the time I reached the last few chapters, I had fully prepared to give this a respectable 4 star rating. Solid, enjoyable, clever. But then the final stretch hit, and suddenly I was upgrading that rating without hesitation. The ending is twist upon twist, the kind that leaves you blinking at the page and thinking, “Wait… what?” It’s not where I thought the book was headed, and thank goodness for that. DeLozier lets out just enough information along the way to keep you hooked, but never enough to spoil the surprise.

A thoroughly engaging, twisty, genre blurring ride and one that earns every bit of its 5 stars.

Circe

Title: Circe
Author: Madeline Miller
Published: April 10, 2018 by Little, Brown and Company
Format: Paperback, 393 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Blurb: In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child--neither powerful like her father nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power: the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love.

My Opinion: This is one of those rare novels that pulls you in so completely you look up hours later, wondering how you got so swept away. I haven’t been this absorbed in a book in a very long time. Even without a deep background in mythology, I never felt out of my depth. Miller gives just enough context and character history to make the world come alive, but she never drags the story down with encyclopedic detail. It’s myth, yes, but myth told with a modern fictional pulse.

I found myself pausing every now and then to look up a name or a thread, not because the book was confusing, but because I wanted to know more. Those little detours didn’t interrupt the story at all; they made it even richer, like I was wandering through a forgotten maze of history and legend.

And Circe… she’s obviously the beating heart of this novel. A woman shaped by cruelty, isolation, and the whims of gods who treat suffering like sport, yet she refuses to be defined by any of it. You feel every moment with her; the sharp humor, the loneliness, and the flickers of love which feel both fragile and monumental. When she hurts, you hurt. When she laughs, you can’t help but smile. When she makes those impossible choices, you feel the breath catch in your own chest and turn the pages even faster.

Her strength isn’t loud or showy; it’s the kind that builds quietly, page by page, until you realize she’s become something extraordinary. A goddess, yes. A witch, yes. But, also, a woman who claws her way toward her own identity in a world determined to tell her who she should be even when she is letting go of the most important things in her life.

This is absolutely a keeper; the kind of book that earns its place on the shelf. And honestly, I can see a re‑read in the future, just to revisit a fiercely beautiful human journey of a woman who stands alone on her island and still manages to reshape her fate.

The Pumpkin Spice Café

Title: The Pumpkin Spice Café
Author: Laurie Gilmore
Published: August 30, 2023 by HarperCollins
Format: Kindle, 376 Pages
Genre: Romance
Series: Dream Harbor #1

Blurb: When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Cafe in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.

Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her.

Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes.

My Opinion: I admit it, I fell for the hype. The cozy cute cover, the promise of small town charm, the whole “pumpkin spice season is here, come bask in the vibes” thing. I thought, sure, why not, let’s lean into the fall mood. Turns out my inner voice was right and I should’ve walked away from this one.

It starts with the usual setup: heroine returns to a small town, suddenly there are ghostly noises in the café, meets a hunky farmer who is conveniently pushed into staying close and help investigate. You know the drill. Except here, the drill feels more like a slow churn. Boring, boring, yada yada, nothing surprising, the same fill in the blank formatting.

There’s a “found family” of matchmakers tossed in, which could’ve been fun, but instead it just felt like another layer of fluff on top of a plot that wasn’t going anywhere.

Then, because the story is drifting along without anything new, the book suddenly swerves into pages upon pages of spice. It didn’t match the tone, the pacing, or the setup. It felt like a last ditch attempt to keep readers engaged, and instead it made the whole thing feel desperate. Sure, some readers look for that kind of shift, but for me it was out of place and didn’t fix the core issue: the book was simply too boring for words.

Pumpkin Spice Café promised cozy autumn magic, but all I got was a lukewarm cup of disappointment.